As Spring looms?heavy, like a full moon?on the horizon, we begin to crave lighter fare. And with wines like Knudsen Vineyards 2014?Chardonnay from the Dundee AVA in Oregon, it’s easy to think about how we’ll accommodate the fresh and bright foods of the coming season by accompanying them with great wine.

Knudsen Vineyards is one of the oldest vineyards in the Dundee Hills. Planted in 1974, this prestigious vineyard?site has been supplying fruit to some of Oregon’s most esteemed producers for years. In 1990, they were the first to plant the widely accepted Dijon clone Chardonnay in the state, ushering in a new era of Oregon Chardonnay. After 40 years of wine production, Knudsen Vineyards finally took?the bull by the horns, and in 2013 released their first?bottling of Chardonnay.

This wine is a prime example of why Chardonnay does so well in the Willamette Valley. Grapes are picked at the optimum time to preserve the steely acidity, and though it’s aged in 20% new French oak, the fruit flavors are the star of the show.?Crisp, clean and tingly tary, discover the layers of complexity with every sip?zippy lemon zest, quince paste, orange blossom and almond cookies that are structured by the backbone of stony minerality.

This versatile food wine will be pleasure serving with a variety of menu options. Superb?with salty soft cheese, with main courses like halibut and minted pea pur?e, chicken with rosemary, saut?ed sea scallops with herbed cream sauce, or with side dishes like chanterelles in garlic, butter and sea salt.

And with the Oregon Chardonnay Celebration coming up, you can not only learn why Chardonnay expresses itself with such beauty, but you can taste for yourself. Experience the educational seminar and Grand Tasting with more than 40 wineries on Saturday, February 27th at the Allison Inn & Spa in Newberg. For tickets or?for more information, visit oregonchardonnaycelebration.org.

She wanted the doors, he wanted the fireplace, so they designed everything around those elements.

It might look like a large wooden barn, as it blends seamlessly into into serene surroundings, but inside, you?ll find composed grandeur in the heavy wooden barn doors that open to bring the outside in, the high ceilings with extensive windows inviting in the sunlight, and the massive stone fireplace to welcome guests with its cozy warmth.

Step up to the apothecary-style bar and let the owner winemaker Bruno Corneaux pour you tastings of his superbly made wines. Bruno?s philosophy for making Domaine Divio wines is done in the style he learned growing up in France. He is passionate about growing his grapes biodynamically, making small production wines that are true to his 4th generation French winemaking roots, and crafting his pinot noir and chardonnay with as little intervention as possible.

Bruno speaks lovingly about his little 23-acre spot on Ribbon Ridge. He appreciates the recognizable marine sediment in the soil and the spicy flavors it gives the wines grown there. Though his estate is currently planted to 12 acres of pinot noir and chardonnay, until the grapes are ready for wine production, he?s sourcing fruit from neighboring regions, including the Dundee Hills, Chehalem Mountains and Eola Amity AVAs. And tasting these all side-by-side is a great opportunity to learn about the different areas and what impact the varying soil types and conditions have on those wines. You may consider it an important lesson in terrior. According to Bruno, ?he wants to make sure that the fruit is giving him what the soil is all about.?

The wines are flawless and captivating, but it?s Bruno?s passion and generous hospitality, telling stories in his charming French accent of his heritage, growing up in Beaune France, and how he met his lovely wife Isabelle in Dijon where he studied that will ultimately connect you. You?ll understand how the name Divio, which is the Roman name for the town of Dijon, and the congruence of all their experience has become an icon for their brand. Even the logo is modeled after the handcrafted painted roof tiles from Dijon. Ask them the stories for yourself. They?ll wax poetic about France, about wine and you?ll feel like a part of it all.

2013 Willamette Valley Chardonnay ? With a mere 25 cases of this heavenly wine in existence, I suggest you make your visit soon. Showing classic citrus with flinty minerality, and caramel notes without being buttery, it?s bright and brilliant acidity is focused and laser sharp. Its versatility makes it perfect with a variety of dishes such as butter leaf salads, crab, corn, and risotto.

2012 Pinot Noir Eola Amity Hills ? You?ll be lured in by dark berries, baking chocolate, violet, and white pepper. Far from simple, the structure and complexity of this wine will continue to evolve for years.

2013 Pinot Noir Chehalem Mountain ? One of the earlier ripening areas in the Valley, this wine is full of red currant, ripe strawberry jam and juicy but tart cherry flavors complemented by steely minerality and earthy components.

As you feel the number of daylight hours increasing by the minute, pink bottles start lining the shelves of your favorite wine shop. They trumpet the incoming spring, much the way the bulbs popping up in your yard do, growing in almost the same proportions. I love this time of year, life is practically bursting at the seams.?When that first bottle of the?2015 ros?s, made an appearance on my table, I wanted to throw my hands up in celebration. Are we really through our darkest hours? Is it time for pink wine already? Well, I’m here to tell you, yes and YES!

The Stoller Family Estate 2015 Dundee Hills Pinot Noir Ros? is my harbinger of spring, thank you very much. The stunning pink color gently wakes your winter weary soul while Ruby Red grapefruit, watermelon and honeysuckle tickle your senses, teasing?them with lively aromatics and playful acidity. I want to pair this wine with bouillabaisse or crudit?s, as its restraint is reminiscent of the finest classic wine from Provence, but I think it is an extremely?versatile wine and would taste simply divine with a fennel, blood orange and arugula salad topped with a?simple honey and lemon vinaigrette. Or you could do what I did and eat with pepperoni and pineapple pizza? damn that was good (don’t judge me).

Citrus is the perfect pick-me-up. It elevates a cocktail, adding a touch of bright acidity, it brings our recipes to new heights, adding balance where needed, and it lifts our winter spirits like a dose of bright sunshiny goodness.?The grapefruit is one of my favorite citrus fruits to prepare. I love it in salads, with shaved fennel and romano, or simply all on its own, providing much needed vitamins and nutritional benefits.

This recipe (originally meant to be posted for Valentine?s Day so bookmark this for next year) encapsulates love and life in a beautiful and tasty way. It incorporates the sour and bitter of the fruit with sugary sweetness, spicy heat and savory herbs; things all?great relationships?should?provide. Perfect for solo breakfasts, brunch parties, or even for dessert, this recipe is simple to prepare, gorgeous to look at, and complex on your tongue as you try to identify each of the ingredients.

Originally a cross between a Jamaican sweet orange and the Asian pomello, grapefruit?s nickname was the Forbidden Fruit when first documented in the 1700s. Currently, China is the world?s largest grapefruit producer. This recipe is anything but forbidden.

If you?re anything like me, you?re already thinking about summer. A time of the year when?long summer days seem to go on forever, and evenings are filled with dinners that encapsulate all the flavors of the season, exciting your senses with every flavor. We?share time with friends and family lingering into the colorful sunset with glasses of wine in hand and conversation and the memories of dinner drifting into the air, as the warmth of that connection matches the warmth of the sun on your backs.

It may just be February, and the days still cold and dreary gray, but it?s never too early to be thinking about the bounty of the upcoming summer. In fact, all the more reason. And since Field and Vine Events just released their 2016 Dinner in the Field schedule, it?s?just the right time?to be planning for it. Check out this list of?amazing events from Spring through Winter, that include some of the Willamette Valley?s best farms, wineries, breweries and cideries, and get your planning underway. There?s certainly so much to look forward to.

A chicken dish adults and children will beg for? You won’t believe it’s true.

This crunchy chicken dish combines the heat from red peppers (left off of the kid’s serving), with?sweet honey and sour dill pickles for a tastebud tickling dish that everyone will enjoy. It’s like your sophisticated friend and the girl next store all wrapped up in the perfect package. Intriguing yet comforting at the same time.

Serve it on skewers as finger food for Game Day parties or for your favorite Friday night dinner, since it’s easy to cook on a weeknight (I always make enough for leftovers).

But fair warning, your friends and family will ask for this again. Enjoy!

Looking for something unusual do this coming?Valentine’s weekend? How about?a tasty, educational and interactive wine dinner truly like nothing else you’ve every experienced?

Explore the part soil plays in the terroir of wine through a 5-course dining experience paired with Authenique Wines that’s based (as crazy as this might sound) on the concept of ?eating dirt.?

Under sculptural light installations, you will dig through edible soil flavored with foraged nuts and mushrooms, crack open warm oven-baked clay to reveal roasted root vegetables, and experience the excitement of never quite knowing what you will unearth next. Each guest will experience a delicious dinner paired with many interactive components and surprises?that will culminate in?a better understanding of the local soils and how they influence the taste of wines accompanying the dinner. Guests will also receive?a special treat to take home at the end of the night.